Movie Reviews

Magnolia Pictures

Review in a Hurry: The experience of Steven Soderbergh's 77-minute Girlfriend—about an upscale call girl in Manhattan—is like spending an hour-plus with an actual escort: Pretty to look at, but emotionally unsatisfying—and did I really just pay for that? 

The Bigger Picture: Soderbergh likes a little on the side. Between romancing the masses with big-name, big-budget blockbusters and shooting his wad for the festival crowd with last year's four-hour epic Che, the director enjoys a cheap quickie like Girlfriend. As in previous "personal" films Full Frontal and Bubble, Soderbergh here seems to be pleasuring himself more than the audience.

A nonlinear structure gives the impression there's more story going on, but the film basically follows Chelsea, a $2,000-an-hour hooker (real-life porn star Sasha Grey), for five days in October 2008. She has a list of happy regulars, as well as a live-in personal-trainer boyfriend, Chris (Chris Santos), who's accepting of her lifestyle.

Commerce pervades every interaction, whether it's precoital chat with clients about the recession and investments, Chris' negotiations with the sporting goods industry or Chelsea's attempts to expand her business.

To make things extra-meta, the plot tosses in a Hollywood screenwriter who falls in love with Chelsea. And former Premiere magazine film critic Glenn Kenny plays a hilariously sleazy webmaster who promises her a glowing review on his sex site in exchange for a free sample.

Dreamily photographed in cool tones, with lingering wide shots and shallow-focus framing, Girlfriend provides an interesting peek at the escort world but only teases at what should've been a more stimulating exposé. It makes the all-too-easy comment that johns just really want someone to listen to them, which is ironic, since as an actress, Grey—as bland and vague as her name—never appears very engaged.

Chilly detachment may be part of the point, but by the final reel, Soderbergh clearly wants us to care about Chelsea's fate. Unfortunately, unlike her clients, we haven't been touched in any way.

The 180—a Second Opinion: With so many scenes shot in tony clubs, restaurants, bars, fitness centers and Chelsea's condo, Girlfriend effectively markets the Manhattan good life. Sign me up.

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